Car-coupling.



No. 642,432. Patented Ian. 30, I900. W. G. CURTIS.

GAB COUPLING.

(Application filed June 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR M 5 6W2;

(5. a). Chow WITN ESSES I ATTORN EY.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. CURTIS, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALFTO FRANK D. GILBERT AND JESSE E. CURTIS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

srncrrrca'rrou forming 15m of Letters Patent No. 642,432, dated January30, 1900. Application filed June 24, 1899. Serial No. 721,742. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Huntington, in the county of Oabell and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Oouplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had tothe accompany ing drawings and to letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a section on the line a; {I}, Fig. 3. Fig. 2is a front elevation of my coupling with the knuckle locked and theupper half of the draw-head removed. Fig. 3 is aplan View of same, theknuckle and latch being shown in unlocked positions in dotted lines.Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view ofthe latch. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the knuckle.

This invention relates to car-couplings of that type which employpivoted v knuckles normally locked in coupling position by means of alatch device; and it is designed to provide improved latch andlatch-operating devices, also to provide a knuckle-securing or pivot pinof improved character.

With these objects in viewthe invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, andpointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates thedraw-head, and B the pivoted knuckle.

C is the latch which secures the knuckle in coupled position.

The external form of the draw-head, the form of the seat therein for thebearing or hub portion of the knuckle, and the form of portion 1),having the curved wall 1). Its in-- nor lower portion is also formedwith a rabbet b whose vertical wall fits against a shoulder a 0n thebottom of the cavity A when the knuckle-is in coupling position.

The latch O is hung on a vertical pin D and consists of aforwardly-offset portion 1 and acurved arm portion 2, which lies behindthe tongue B and engages the cut-away portion 1) of said tongue, whichis shaped to fit. The forwardly-offset portion 1 is formed with avertical recess a, which is adapted to fit over the inner end portion ofthe tongue, which is substantially parallel with the coupling-arm of theknuckle to form the look there for. The forward wall of the outer cornerportion 0 of the latch when in looking engagement with the tongue has abearing against the shoulder a of the wall of the cavity A, and therebyrelieves the tongue and the Walls of the recess 0 from strain.

The portion 1 of the latch is formed with a vertical slot 0', in whichis pivoted a small lever E, whose lower end projects into a depression ain the bottom Wall of the cavity A, said depression having anupwardly-beveled wall (2 upon which is designed to ride the convexedbent lower end portion E of the lever E. Connected to the upper endportion of said lever by a link F is a latch-lifting rod G, whichextends upwardly through an aperture 0. in the upper wall of the headand I is connected to any suitable operating mechanism.

The rear wall of the cavity A is formed with the beveled portion A andthe adjacent face of the part 2 of the latch O is formed with acam-surface O. Said cavity is also formed with the lateral offset A in aplane above that of the bottom face of the latch when the latter is incoupling position. The upper wall of the cavity A above the upper end ofthe lever E when the latter is in coupled position nearly or quitecontacts with the upper end of said lever, and from this point ofcontact it is beveled upwardly to the aperture a as I shown at A Theparts being in coupled position, as shown in Fig. 1, the knuckle issecurely locked by the engagement therewith of the latch, and the latteris held against upward movement to accidentally release the knuckle bythe impingement of the upper end of the lever E against the upper wallof the cavity A.

To uncouple, the lifting rod Gis raised, thereby slightly rocking thelever E to bring its upper end onto the beveled surface A, and acontinued pull on said lifting rod raises the latch C out of engagementwith the knuckletongue, the upper end of the lever E riding on thebeveled wall A. As said latch is lifted its cam-surface C impinges uponthe beveled rear wall portion A, and thereby turns said latch on the pinD to cause its arm portion 1 to press outwardly on the knuckle-tongue tothereby automatically throw the knuckle open as soon as its tongue isreleased by said latch.

In coupling, as the cars come together and the knuckle-tongue is forcedback into the cavity A and by the contact of a beveled surface 3 on thetongue with a beveled surface s on the latch the latter is raisedautomatically to allow the knuckle-tongue to pass under it,

and is at the same time swung forwardly on its pivot. It then drops bygravity and locks the tongue. As the latch falls to locking position thebeveled end Eof the lever E rides downwardly on the beveled wall portiona of the cavity A, and thereby automatically brings said lever intoposition for its upper end to contact with the upper wall of saidcavity, and thereby secure the latch against accidental unlatchingmovement.

The pin P, which forms the pivot for the knuckle B, is a headless pinand is formed with an inwardly-offset shoulder 19 near its lower end,which rests on a shoulder r in the pin-hole R near the bottom face ofthe drawhead, and thereby prevents the pin from fall= ing through. Itslower end may be provided with a pin )9 to secure the pin against upwardmovement.- Should the pin become broken, it continues to perform itswork, as the portion below the break is held by said shoulders fromfalling out. Furthermore, this pin is useless for any other purpose thanthat forwhich it is designed and is not likely to be taken out bytrainmen and used for other purposes, as is the case with ordinary pins.Should it become lost or mislaid, how ever, any other pin of the properlength and size may be used in its place.

It will be observed that in the coupling above described the parts areof strong and durable character and that no springs areemployed, allautomatic movements of the parts being caused by the impingementof'solid' camsurfaces. It will also be observed that owing to the factthat the forward Wall of the forwardly-ofiset portion of the latch hasabearing against a shoulder of the draw-head, and 1 owing to the factthat the inner end portion of the knuckle-tongue, which issuibstantiallyparallel to the coupling-arm of the knuckle, is engaged by a recess inthe bottom wall of the latch, should the knuckle-pin P fall out or beotherwise removed when the coupling is effected the said relation of theparts will still hold said knuckle in place, whether under strain ornot. This will likewise be the case should the pin D of the latch alsofall out. The strain upon the said pinsPand D is thusfmuch lessened andborne by the draw head to a large extent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In acar-coupling of the class described, the combination with thepivoted knuckle, of the pivoted and vertically-movable latch, thecam-surface uponthe draw-head, a cam device secured to said latch andengaging said cam-surface to raise the latch and unlock the knuckle,means for operating said cam de vice, and means for opening-the knuckle,substantially as specified.

2. In. a car-coupling of the class described, the combination withthepivoted knuckle, of the pivoted and vertically-movable latch, thecam-surface upon the draw-head, the lever pivoted to said latchandhaving the cam-arm engaging said cam-surface to liftthe latch andunlock the knuckle, means for operating said lever, and means forturning said latch to open said knuckle, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-coupling of the class described,- the combination of thepivoted knuckle having the inner end portion of its tongue substantiallyparallel with the coupling-arm of the knuckle, the pivotedvertically-movable latch having the forwardly-odsetportiom the shoulderupon thedraw-head forming a. bearing for the forward wall of theforwardly-odset portion of said latch in the locked position of saidknuckle, and the recess in the bottom wall of said latch fitting overthe said inner end portion of the knuckle-tongue to lock the same,substantially as specified.

4:. In a car-coupling of the class described, the combination with thedraw-head having a chamber or cavity therein, and a pivoted knuckle, ofa pivoted vertically-movable knuckle-latch having one of its armsrecessed on= itsunder side to engage the knuckle-tongue and itsotherarm: seated to bear against the inner or rear portion of said tongue,the lever pivoted in the said latch, the inclined bear-' i ing-surfaceson the upper and lower walls of said cavity or chamber for therespective end portions of the said lever, the pull-rod connected tosaid lever, the coacting cam-surfaces on the latch and on the adjacentwall of said cavity or chamber, whereby the latch is caused toro-tate asit is lifted, and the coactj ing inclined orcamsurfaces on the tongueand latch, substantially as specified.

5.. In a car-coupling of the class described, the combination with thechambered head,

; the pivoted knuckle, the pivoted verticallymovable latch, andthecoacting cam-surfaces on the said-latchand the adjacent wall of thehead for rotating said latch when it is moved lid "vertieally, of thelever pivoted in a slot of the In testimony whereof I affix mysigiiature latch anld hlalving its uppleir efndlpertilon in 0on1; inpresence of two Witnesses.

tact Wit t e upper wa 0 t e c amber 0 a the head, said head also havingcam bearing- WILLIAM CURTIS surfaces for the upper and lower endportions Witnessesi of said lever, and the pull or lift rod connected A.MOOURDY,

to said lever, substantially as specified. FRANK D'. GILBERT.

